In 2007, McKenna, a native of
Islip, N. Y., became the first nuclear
engineering major at West Point to
graduate with honors. He then spent
five years as a military intelligence
officer, living in 10 different places
in the U.S., Europe, the Middle
East, and Southeast Asia, learning
about leadership, technology, geopolitics, and cultures, and fulfilling
his duty at the tactical level.

McKenna now attends Boston
University in a dual-degree program
for a master’s in business administration and a master’s in information
systems. He utilizes the self-discipline and time-management skills the
Army instilled in him, McKenna explained in a phone interview. But
combining higher education and military commitment is a challenge, as he
works two to four days a month as a
captain in the Army National Guard.

“I like to think logically, com-plete an operation step by step,” hesaid. And “computers are one of thelargest growth engines. I’m fortu-nate that my mind works that way.”His mind also benefits from sky-diving a few hours each week.(McKenna once coached skydivers

Phillip Marino
University of Florida College of Law
Law student
LoL: Laptop computer
Degrees: B.A., history, and B.S.,
political science, Florida State
University*
Best part of Phi Kappa Phi: Wonderful
scholarship opportunities

and was part of a competitive four-person team.) It teaches theimportance of planning ahead andmaking decisions quickly, he said.

Inversely, McKenna enjoys long-distance running because “it’s
mind-clearing.” It also represents
another drive toward excellence, as
he has completed three marathons
and numerous smaller races.

The Renaissance man professes
to another preoccupation: the saxophone, which he began playing in
fourth grade and continued through
college. But his instrument is at the
family home with his parents and
three younger siblings for now.

Ronald L. Martz
Instructor, History and
Journalism, North Georgia
College & State University*
LoL: Study false-memory
syndrome vis-à-vis a Marine
from Atlanta, Ga., who
disappeared in Vietnam in 1969
Satisfying community service:
Reading for the blind on
Georgia Public Radio

Gina Logue (MiddleTennessee StateUniversity chapterpresident) is an award-winning producer andmedia representativein the Office of Newsand Public Affairsat MTSU, her alma mater. She enteredacademia after more than 20 years ofcovering politics as a broadcast journalistat regional radio stations and networks.Logue writes frequently for the awardsedition. Email her at odahleen@gmail.com.

William Mackey
University of Cincinnati
Ph.D. student in criminology
and criminal justice
LoL: Research; conference
Degrees: B.A., psychology and
criminology, Iowa State
University; M.A. criminology,
Indiana State University*
Satisfying community service: Book
drives for prisons

M.A. student in journalism
Degrees: B.A., journalism, and
B.A., Latin American studies,
University of Wisconsin-Madison*

LoL: Graduate school

Role model: Anthony Shadid,
the late two-time Pulitzer
Prize-winning Middle East
correspondent

Satisfying community service:

Haiti Reporters

LoL: Living expenses while
interning at the Madison
Children’s Museum’s exhibit
design department
Phi Kappa Phi chapter: University of
Wisconsin-Madison
Most proud of: Being a Rotary
Youth Exchange student to
Germany and Taiwan for a year
before college
Career objective: Academia

Degrees: B.Sc., agronomy and
plant breeding, and M.Sc.,
plant biotechnology, University
of Tehran

LoL: Plant and Animal Genome
Conference

Favorite author: Paulo Coelho

Stacey Cole Mann
Assistant Professor, Department
of Emergency Management,
Jacksonville State University
LoL: Southeastern Conference
for Public Administration
Most proud of: My husband and
4-year-old daughter
Phi Kappa Phi chapter: Mississippi
State University
Best part of Phi Kappa Phi: The
members